Footwear article

ABSTRACT

A footwear article comprising a generally elongate sole for engagement with and support of the foot of a person, said sole having an upper surface, a lower surface, a first portion being for interaction with at least the heel region of the foot of the person and a second portion for interaction with at least the metatarsal region of the foot of the person; and a foot engagement means for securing the footwear article to the foot of a person. The footwear article being characterised in that a first portion of the sole includes a first material having a first material property and the a second portion of the sole includes a second material having a second material property; and said first portion and said second portion extend at least to the upper surface of the sole and first material property provides for dampening of load imparted to the foot of the person upon contact with a surface.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of footwear articles, inparticular to footwear of composite form.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is well known in the art that shock loadings and forces applied tothe underside of the foot of a person via the sole of footwear articlehave long term effects on the integrity of joints of a person, whilstalso at times causing pain and discomfort, in particular when wearingfootwear for extended periods of time.

Furthermore, it is well known that the majority of loading on impact tothe foot of a person is imparted to the underside of the heel portion ofthe foot of a person in use.

Footwear articles of the prior art include various manners in which toincrease comfort and conformity to the foot of user, including shockabsorptive inserts, various types of foam rubber and air cushioningdevices. Such footwear articles typically require increasedmanufacturing costs and tooling, thus increasing complexity ofproduction.

The present invention is provides a footwear article which overcomes orat least substantially ameliorates at least some of the deficiencies asexhibited by those of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect, the present invention provides a footwear articlecomprising:

a generally elongate sole for engagement with and support of the foot ofa person, said sole having an upper surface, a lower surface, a firstportion being for interaction with at least the heel region of the footof the person and a second portion for interaction with at least themetatarsal region of the foot of the person; and

a foot engagement means for securing the footwear article to the foot ofa person.

characterised in that a first portion of the sole includes a firstmaterial having a first material property and the a second portion ofthe sole includes a second material having a second material property;and

said first portion and said second portion extend at least to the uppersurface of the sole and first material property provides for dampeningof load imparted to the foot of the person upon contact with a surface.

Preferably the first portion further provides for interaction with andat least partial support of the plantar arch of the user.

Preferably the first portion extends substantially laterally across thesole.

Alternatively, the first portion is provided as a first part and asecond part and laterally spaced apart such that the first part providesfor interaction with the lateral inferior of the heel of the person andthe second part provides for interaction with the medial inferior aspectof the heel of the user. The first part and the second part of the firstportion are preferably sized and selected from a material so as toprovide lateral stabilisation and load distribution of the heel of theperson.

The first material property and the second material property may differfrom each other and the first material and the second material maydiffer from each other, and the first material and the second materialhave differing densities.

The first portion and the second portion are preferably selected fromthe group including polymeric materials, rubbers, elastomers and organicmaterials or combinations thereof.

Preferably the first material and the second material are selected fromthe group including thermoplastic polymeric material, co-polymers andmixed polymer blends.

The first material and the second material are preferably selected fromthe group including polyurethane, ethylene vinyl acetate, poly vinylacetate and the like.

The first material and the second material may be provided in the formof expanded form, compact form or gel form of combinations thereof.

Preferably the first material is a polyurethane gel and the secondmaterial is an expanded poly vinyl acetate material.

The engagement means is preferably selected from the group includingstraps, an enclosure, a buckle or the like.

Preferably the sole is formed as a unitary construct by co-molding thefirst portion and the second portion. The sole is preferably formed as aunitary construct whereby the first portion and the second portion arejoined together by an adhesive bonding agent, contact cement pressure orheat activated film or the like.

The upper surface of the sole is preferably provided as a substantiallycontinuous surface and formed by at least part of the first portion andthe second portion of the sole, and the first portion preferably extendspartially towards the lower surface of the sole. Alternatively, thefirst portion may extend through the sole to the lower surface of thesole.

The upper surface is preferably of concave form and the sole includes aperipheral lip extending at least partially along the periphery of thesole so as to provide a contoured upper surface configured to receivethe underside of the foot of the person.

The footwear article may further include a cushioning member locatedwithin the sole.

The first portion of the sole may be provided as a multi-layered gelconstruct.

The sole may further include a third portion which extends to the uppersurface of the sole and having material property provides for dampeningof load imparted to the foot of the person upon contact with a surface,said third portion providing for interaction with at least themetatarsal region of the foot of the person.

Preferably the footwear article is provided in the form of a “flip-flop”type footwear article. Alternatively, the article may be provided in theform of a “sandal” type footwear article, or as an at least partiallyenclosed footwear article.

Alternatively, the article may be provided as a heeled article such thatthe upper surface of the sole is inclined in a direction of from theupper surface towards the lower surface in a direction of from the firstportion towards the second portion, and the third portion is located ina portion to substantially prevent or reduce movement of the foot of theperson along the upper surface of the sole. The third portion may belocated so as to be at adjacent the ball of the underside of the foot ofthe person.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a footwear articlecomprising:

a generally elongate sole for engagement with and support of the foot ofa person, said sole having an upper surface, a lower surface, a firstportion being for interaction with at least the heel region of the footof the person and a second portion for interaction with at least themetatarsal region of the foot of the person; and

a foot engagement means for securing the footwear article to the foot ofa person.

characterised in that a first portion of the sole includes a firstmaterial having a first material property and the a second portion ofthe sole includes a second material having a second material property,first material property providing for dampening of load imparted to thefoot of the person upon contact with a surface.

Preferably, said first material is a gel type polymeric material andsaid second material is an expanded polymeric material, the sole ispreferably formed as a unitary molded structure, and said first portionand said second portion co-operatively form a flexible sole.

Preferably a part of the first portion and a part of the second portionform the upper surface of the sole.

In a further aspect, the present invention provides a footwear articlecomprising:

a generally elongate sole comprising a first portion and a secondportion and having an upper surface and a lower surface, said firstportion being for direct contact and interaction with at least a portionof the underside of the foot of the person and being formed from a firstpolymeric material having a first density; and said second portionforming substantially the entire lower surface and being for directcontact and interaction with a surface and being formed from a secondpolymeric material having a second density; and

a generally elongate and flexible foot engagement means for securing thefootwear article to the foot of a person, said foot engagement beingengaged directly with at least said second portion and configured so asto extend over a portion of the upper side of the foot of the person;

wherein the first polymeric material and the second polymeric materialare selected and the first portion and the second portion are sized andarranged such that the sole is substantially flexible and elastic so asto allow for substantial flexion of the sole longitudinally and return,when in use and during ambulation of the person;

wherein the first polymeric material and the second polymeric materialare selected and the first portion and the second portion are sized andarranged such that dampening is provided upon load being imparted to thefoot of the person upon contact with the surface; and

wherein the sole is formed as a unitary construct by co-molding thefirst portion and the second portion together, and the first polymericmaterial and the second polymeric material are suitably selected forsaid co-molding.

The first density is preferably greater than the second density, and thefirst material is preferably provided in a gel form and the secondpolymeric material is preferably provided in an expanded form.

In a preferred embodiment, the foot engagement means is a “thong” typeengagement means, and the footwear article is provided in the form of a“flip-flop” type footwear article.

The first polymeric material and the second polymeric material may beselected from the group including thermoplastic polymeric materials,co-polymers and mixed polymer blends, more preferably from the groupincluding polyurethane, ethylene vinyl acetate, poly vinyl acetate andthe like.

In a preferred embodiment, the first material is a polyurethane gelmaterial and the second material is an expanded polyurethane material.

The first portion may extend substantially laterally across uppersurface of the sole and substantially form the rear part of the uppersurface of the sole, and the second portion may form at least a part ofthe front part of the upper surface of the sole.

Alternatively, the first portion may form at least part of the frontpart of the upper surface of the sole, and the second portion may format least a part of the rear part of the upper surface of the sole.

In an alternate embodiment, the first portion may form substantially theentire upper surface of the sole

The first portion may further provide for interaction with and at leastpartial support of the plantar arch of the user.

In other embodiments, the first portion may be provided as a first partand a second part and laterally spaced apart such that the first partprovides for interaction with the lateral inferior of the metatarsalregion of the foot of the person and the second part provides forinteraction with the medial inferior aspect of the metatarsal region ofthe foot of the person. The first part and the second part of the firstportion may be sized and selected from a material so as to providelateral stabilisation and load distribution of the heel of the person.

In further embodiments, the upper surface may be of concave form and thesole may include a peripheral lip extending at least partially along theperiphery of the sole so as to provide a contoured upper surfaceconfigured to receive the underside of the foot of the person.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be explained infurther detail below by way of examples and with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:—

FIG. 1 a is a plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a footwear articleaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 1 b is an underside view of the embodiment of the invention asdepicted in FIG. 1 a;

FIG. 1 c is a side view of the embodiment of the invention as depictedin FIGS. 1 a and 1 b;

FIG. 2 a depicts an inside view of a schematic representation of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 b is an underside view of the schematic representation depictedin FIG. 2 a;

FIG. 2 c is an outside view of the schematic representation of thepresent invention depicted in FIGS. 2 a and 2 b;

FIG. 2 d is a section view through line D-D of FIG. 2 b;

FIG. 2 e is a plan view of the schematic representation depicted inFIGS. 2 a to 2 d;

FIG. 2 f is a section view through line A-A of FIG. 2 b;

FIG. 2 g is a section view through line B-B of FIG. 2 b;

FIG. 2 h is a section view through line C-C of FIG. 2 b;

FIG. 3 a is a plan view of a first schematic representation of anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 b is a plan view of a second schematic representation of anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 c is a plan view of a third schematic representation of anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 d is a plan view of a fourth schematic representation of anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 a is a plan view of a first schematic representation of a furtherembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 b is a plan view of a second schematic representation of afurther embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 c is a plan view of a third schematic representation of a furtherembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 d is a plan view of a fourth schematic representation of afurther embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 a depicts another embodiment of a footwear article according tothe present invention;

FIG. 5 b depicts a further embodiment of a footwear article according tothe present invention;

FIG. 6 depicts yet another embodiment of a footwear article according tothe present invention;

FIG. 7 a depicts yet a further embodiment of a footwear articleaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 7 b depicts the embodiment of the footwear article of FIG. 7 a in anon-flexed state; and

FIG. 7 c depicts the embodiment of the footwear article of FIG. 7 a in aflexed state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 a to 1 c and FIGS. 2 a to 2 h, an exemplaryembodiment of a footwear article 100 according to the present inventionis shown. In the present embodiment, the footwear article 100 isprovided in the form of a “flip-flop” type article, however otherarticles or other or alternate embodiments are also applicable to theinvention, such as a sandal, slip-on type shoes or the like.

The article 100 is provided as a generally elongate sole 10 which, inthe present invention, is provided as two portions, a first portion 16and a second portion 18, although those skilled in the art willappreciate that the article 100 may be provided as further portionswithout departing from the invention.

A foot engagement means 20 is provided which is provided so as toco-operatively secure the article 100 to the foot of a person. Althoughdepicted as a typical “flip flop” engagement device, those skilled inthe art shall appreciate that other engagement devices such as straps,buckles, cross-overs or the like are equally applicable to theinvention. Co-operatively with the sole 10, the engagement means 20secures the article 100 to the foot of a person.

The engagement means 20 is affixed to the sole 10 of the article viaapertures extending through the sole 10, the engagement means 20 havingformations for abutting against and within recesses within the underside14 of the sole 10. Again, those skilled in the art will understand thatvarious engagement means may secured to the sole 10 in other mannerswhere applicable.

The first portion 16 is positioned and formed from a material suitablefor providing cushioning or dampening to the heel of a person whenstanding or during walking. The second portion 18 provides for supportof the front portion or metatarsal portion of the foot of a person.

The sole 10 is provided with a concave upper surface 12 which issuitably contoured so as to provide for comfort of fit to the foot of auser when wearing the article 100. A peripheral lip 13 is provided whichextends around the periphery of the sole 10 again providing for comfortto a user and for foot conformity.

In the present embodiment, the first portion 16 further extends as amedical portion 19 to provide arch support to the foot of a person.Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other geometries andpositioning of the first portion 16 may be provided in other oralternate embodiments so as to provide cushioning to the underside ofthe foot of a person, without departing from the scope of the invention.

The first portion 16 of the sole 10 is formed from a gel-type polymericmaterial, in the present embodiment a polyurethane gel material, thevisco-elastic properties of which provide for cushioning and shockabsorption to the heel portion of a user. The second portion 18 of thesole 10 is formed from a further polymeric material, in the presentembodiment expanded polyurethane, which is integrally formed with thefirst portion 10. The second portion of the present embodiment forms themajority of the sole, the flexural properties in conjunction withsuitable sizing provides for significant flexing of the sole whenwalking and again increases comfort to a use.

In the present embodiment of the article 100, the first portion 16 andthe second portion 18 are integrally formed by a co-molding process soas to provide continuity between the portions 16 and 18. A co-moldingprocess, as will readily be understood by those skilled in the art, iswhereby the portions are molded together and are generally formed with acommon mold.

By being formed as a co-molded sole 10, the present invention providesfor continuity of the sole 10 to be formed as a unitary construct,allowing for ease of form and providing for continuity of the uppersurface 12 of the sole, thus allowing for direct contact of theunderside of the foot of a user and also provides for ease of formationand manufacturing. Further, by providing a unitary construct such thatthe sole 10 is substantially formed in total by the first portion 16 andthe second portion 18, ease and simplicity of formation and manufactureis achieved.

In other or alternate embodiments, the sole 10 may be formed by adheringthe first portion 16 and the second portion 18 together by adhesives,pressure or heat sensitive glues or the like, where applicable.

Although in the present embodiment, the first portion 16 and the secondportion 18 are formed from a polyurethane gel and expanded polyurethanematerial respectively, those skilled in the art that other polymer orthermoplastic materials may also be utilised, such as poly vinyl acetatematerials or other such suitable polymeric materials.

Alternatively, in other embodiments and as would be understood by thoseskilled in the art, other materials such as rubbers, elastomers, organicmaterials or combinations thereof, and co-polymer and mixed polymerblends and combinations thereof may also be utilised. Further, materialsmay be provided in the form of compact polymers, expanded polymericmaterials or gel materials or combinations thereof and may be used invarious combinations without departing from the scope of the invention.Furthermore, the sole 10 may be provided as a single material havingvarying densities so as to provide a first portion with appropriatecushioning whilst being of a expanded form for example for other partsof the sole so as to provide for structural integrity.

Furthermore, in other or alternate embodiments of the invention, thefirst portion 16 may be provided so as to provide medial or lateralsupport to the heel of a user so as to more evenly distribute load tothe heel and to prevent exacerbated medial or lateral wear of the rearportion of the sole 10. In other embodiments, the first portion may beprovided as two or more discrete parts spaced laterally apart form eachother and suitably located and sized so as to provide for more evenloading and increased stabilisation to the underside of the foot of auser.

In the present embodiment, the first portion 16 is provided so as toextend partway through the sole 10 towards the lower surface 14.However, in other embodiments, the first portion 16 may extend to agreater or lesser extent through the thickness of the sole 10. Further,the first portion 16 is provided so as to extend the full width of thesole 10 in the present embodiment, however again, the first portion 16may extend partway across the sole 10 in other embodiments.

In the present embodiment, the article 100 is depicted as asubstantially planar “flip-flop” type footwear article, however, inother or alternate embodiments the article 100 may be provided with araised heel, such as for women's type footwear. Further, as will beappreciated, the first portion 16 may be provided as a plurality oflayers either in the direction between the upper and lower surface orlaterally, and each layer may be provided with differing colours.

In other embodiments, cushioning elements such as “air cushioning”elements may be incorporated within the sole to provide for additionalcushioning to the foot of a user.

Referring to FIG. 3 a, there is shown an embodiment 200 a of theinvention whereby a third portion 215 a is provided towards themetacarpal portion of a user's foot to provide for cushioning to thefront portion of the foot of a user. The third portion may be formedfrom same of different materials as that of the first portion 216 a.

In another embodiment of the footwear article 200 b as shown in FIG. 3b, the first portion 216 b and the second portion 216 are integrallyformed, and co-operatively provide for lateral support of the undersideof the foot of a user.

Referring to FIG. 3 c, and embodiment of the footwear article 200 c isshown whereby a portion 219 c of the first portion provides for medialarch support.

In a further embodiment of a footwear article 200 d according to thepresent invention as depicted in FIG. 3 c, the first portion 216 d isprovided as two separate parts being spaced apart laterally so as toprovide for increased medial or lateral support and cushioning to theunderside of the heel portion of the foot of a user.

FIG. 3 e depicts yet another embodiment of a footwear article 200 eaccording to the present invention whereby the article 200 e is providedwith a raised heel. The first portion 216 e provides for cushioning ofthe heel of a user whilst a third portion 215 e is provided for contactwith the ball of the foot of a user, which provides resistance andreduces the incidence or likelihood of the foot of the user sliding downthe inclined surface.

Referring to FIGS. 4 a, 4 b and 4 c, there are shown embodiments offootwear articles 300 a, 300 b and 300 c having various foot engagementmeans. FIG. 4 a shows a foot engagement means 320 typical of that of a“flip-flop”, FIG. 4 b shows an “cross-over” type engagement means andFIG. 4 c shows a single-strap type foot engagement means 320 c. Thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that numerous types of footengagement means are applicable without departing from the scope of theinvention.

Referring to FIG. 5 a, there is shown another embodiment of a footweararticle 400 according to the present invention. In the presentembodiment, the first portion 410 extends along the entire length of thearticle 400 so as to provide the entire upper surface 420. In thisembodiment, the first portion 410 again is formed from a gel material soas to provide dampening to the foot of a user upon impact, incombination with an expanded polymeric foam of which the second portion420 is formed.

Further, in the present embodiment, elongate grooves 440 extendlaterally across the upper surface 420 of the article 400. The grooves440 allow for localized deformation of the first portion 410, whichprovides for additional dampening to the foot of a user during use.Furthermore, the laterally extending grooves 440 also provide a “grip”effect which prevents slippage of the foot of a user against the othersurface 420 during use.

Referring to FIG. 5 b, there is shown a further embodiment of a footweararticle 500 according to the present invention. Similarly as in theembodiment depicted in FIG. 5 a, the first portion 510 extends theentire length of the footwear article 500 so as to form the entire uppersurface 520. Again, the second portion is provided by an expandedpolymeric material 520 of foam form which extends the entire length ofthe article 500.

In the present embodiment, grooves 540 are provided which, similarly asin the embodiment depicted in FIG. 5 a, allow for localized deformationof the first portion 510, and due to the gel like properties, andfurther incorporation with the expanded polymeric properties of thesecond portion 530, the grooves 540 allow for additional dampening andcushioning to the foot of a user during use. Furthermore, again thegrooves 540 provide a “grip” type effect which reduces slippage of thefoot of a user on the upper surface 520 of the article 500 during use.

Referring now to FIG. 6, there is depicted yet a further embodiment of afootwear article 600 according to the present invention. In the presentembodiment, the first portion 610, again formed from a gel material, andin this embodiment is provided towards the front portion of the footweararticle 600. The first portion 610 forms a part of the upper surface620, and the second portion 630, again formed from an expanded polymericmaterial, forms the remaining portion of the upper surface 520.

In the present embodiment, the first portion 610 provides for dampeningand shock absorption at the front portion of the foot of a user in use,and furthermore, the first portion being located in this positionprovides for grip of the foot of a user and prevents slippage along theupper surface 620 in use.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 a, 7 b and 7 c, there is depicted yet a furtherembodiment of a footwear article 700 according to the present invention.In the present embodiment, the first portion 710 is provided again in agel material form, and the second portion 730 is provided in an expandedpolymeric form. The first portion 710 extends the entire length of thefootwear article 700 so as to form the entire upper surface 720 of thearticle 700. In the present embodiment and those as depicted inpreceding embodiments, the first portion and the second portion areselected from suitable polymeric materials and are suitably sized so asto provide for repetitive flexion of the footwear article as shown inFIG. 7 b during use, and so as to provide for resilience or “spring bag”such that the deformation is elastic and the article returns to its reststates as depicted in FIG. 7 c. As will be understood and appreciated bythose skilled in the art, a footwear article of the type depicted, isexposed to much flexion and bending and thus the first portion andsecond portion must be able to be maintained together to maintain thestructural integrity of the sole.

In reference to the embodiments of the invention as depicted in FIGS. 5a to 7 c and as described in the description above, as will beappreciated by those skilled in the art, the footwear articles areprovided such that the sole of the article comprises the entire sole ofthe device, and the foot engagement means merely hold the sole to thebottom of the foot of the user. Such footwear articles are termeddifferent names in different parts of the world, including terms such as“flip flop”, “thongs” and “jandals”.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, to provide aflip-flop type footwear article, the article must be extremely flexibleso as to allow for continual flexing during walking or ambulation of aperson. Such a sole is distinctly different from that of traditionalfootwear articles, whereby a comparatively small amount of flexion isallowable and typically at one portion of the sole, in comparison withthat as required and provided by flip-flop type footwear articles.

As will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art, it is necessaryto provide an article which, after many repetitions of flexion,maintains its structural integrity without the first portion and thesecond portion separating or delaminating. Furthermore, those skilled inthe art will appreciate that the sole of a flip-flop device as claimedand shown in the accompanying drawings in accordance with the presentinvention, only comprises the upper portion and the lower portion asdescribed, the upper portion (i.e. first portion) providing for directcontact with the underside of the foot of a user most often without asock, and the lower portion (i.e. second portion) engages directly withthe grounds or surface upon which a person walks, without the use ofadditional outer source or the like.

Furthermore, flip-flop type footwear, as will readily be understood andappreciated by those skilled in the art, are often exposed to harshenvironmental conditions such as water and long durations of sunlightdue to their typical applications, and the materials from which they areformed and the manner in which the portions are joined, must be capableof withstanding such exposure.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that a substantialdifference exists between the sole of the footwear article in thepresent invention and those of conventional footwear, for which have inthe prior art been described as being formed by multiple layers.

It will be appreciated, that as the sole of the present invention iscomprised only of the first portion and the second portion, theseportions must be securely joined or bonded together securely in amanner, as there exists no outer shoe body whereby an inner sole isstill retained within a shoe even if not securely bonded to the insideof a shoe, and also in view of typical applications as discussed above.

The present invention has overcome problems of the prior art such asdelamination, so as to provide a footwear article having a soledistinctly different from those of conventional footwear, a sole whichmust endure significantly larger amounts of flexion and strain, whilstmaintaining the structural integrity of the sole. By provision of a“co-molding process” whereby a gel material is co-moulded with apolymeric material which is expanded in a manner so as to providecontinuity between the gel-type material and the expanded polymericmaterial. As such, a unitary sole of a unitary construct has beenprovided that overcomes practical and longevity problems which may beencountered when utilizing bonding techniques such as used in the priorart. The co-molding process provides for structural integrity and alsomaintains the bond between the materials throughout angles of flexion ofthe sole well beyond the amount of flexion that conventional footwearare exposed to. Furthermore, the co-molding process simplifiesproduction so as to allow ease of manufacture and reduction in manuallabour, and does not require separate formation of the two portions, anddoes not require a post-fabrication process for joining the portions.

Thus, the two portions, by being moulded, provides a unitary structurewhereby the sole is formed of a “continuous” polymeric material, withoutthe necessity for adhesive and the like, and thus mitigating theincidence of debonding, even throughout repetitive large amounts offlexing. The co-molding process provides for rapid and cost and timeeffective manufacture, and reduces the amount of material wastage, thusalso providing environmental advantages.

While the present invention has been explained by reference to theexamples or preferred embodiments described above, it will beappreciated that those are examples to assist understanding of thepresent invention and are not meant to be restrictive. Variations ormodifications which are obvious or trivial to persons skilled in theart, as well as improvements made thereon, should be considered asequivalents of this invention.

Furthermore, while the present invention has been explained by referenceto “flip-flop” type footwear articles, it should be appreciated that theinvention can apply, whether with or without modification, to otherfootwear articles without loss of generality.

1. A footwear article comprising: a generally elongate sole forengagement with and support of the foot of a person, said sole having anupper surface, a lower surface, a first portion being for interactionwith at least the heel region of the foot of the person and a secondportion for interaction with at least the metatarsal region of the footof the person; and a foot engagement means for securing the footweararticle to the foot of a person. wherein a first portion of the soleincludes a first material having a first material property and the asecond portion of the sole includes a second material having a secondmaterial property, said first portion and said second portion extend atleast to the upper surface of the sole and first material propertyprovides for dampening of load imparted to the foot of the person uponcontact with a surface.
 2. A footwear article according to claim 1,wherein the first portion further provides for interaction with and atleast partial support of the plantar arch of the user.
 3. A footweararticle according to claim 1, wherein the first portion extendssubstantially laterally across the sole.
 4. A footwear article accordingto claim 1, wherein the first portion is provided as a first part and asecond part and laterally spaced apart such that the first part providesfor interaction with the lateral inferior of the heel of the person andthe second part provides for interaction with the medial inferior aspectof the heel of the user.
 5. A footwear article according to claim 4wherein the first part and the second part of the first portion aresized and selected from a material so as to provide lateralstabilisation and load distribution of the heel of the person.
 6. Afootwear article according to claim 1, wherein the first materialproperty and the second material property differ from each other.
 7. Afootwear article according to claim 1, wherein the first material andthe second material differ from each other.
 8. A footwear articleaccording to claim 1, wherein the first material and the second materialhave differing densities.
 9. A footwear article according to claim 1,wherein and the first material property and the second material propertydiffer from each other.
 10. A footwear article according to claim 1,wherein the first portion and the second portion are selected from thegroup including polymeric materials, rubbers, elastomers and organicmaterials or combinations thereof.
 11. A footwear article according toclaim 1, wherein the first material and the second material are selectedfrom the group including thermoplastic polymeric material, co-polymersand mixed polymer blends.
 12. A footwear article according to claim 1,wherein the first material and the second material are selected from thegroup including polyurethane, ethylene vinyl acetate, poly vinyl acetateand the like.
 13. A footwear article according to claim 1, wherein thefirst material and the second material are provided in the form ofexpanded form, compact form or gel form of combinations thereof.
 14. Afootwear article according to claim 1, wherein the first material is apolyurethane gel and the second material is an expanded poly vinylacetate material.
 15. A footwear article according to claim 1, whereinsaid foot engagement means is selected from the group including straps,an enclosure, a buckle or the like.
 16. A footwear article according toclaim 1, wherein the sole is formed as a unitary construct by co-moldingthe first portion and the second portion together.
 17. A footweararticle according to claim 1, wherein the sole is formed as a unitaryconstruct whereby the first portion and the second portion are joinedtogether by an adhesive bonding agent, contact cement pressure or heatactivated film or the like.
 18. A footwear article according to claim 1,wherein the upper surface of the sole is provided as a substantiallycontinuous surface and formed by at least part of the first portion andthe second portion of the sole.
 19. A footwear article according toclaim 1, wherein the first portion extends partially towards the lowersurface of the sole.
 20. A footwear article according to claim 1,wherein the first portion extends through the sole to the lower surfaceof the sole.
 21. A footwear article according to claim 1, wherein theupper surface is of concave form and the sole includes a peripheral lipextending at least partially along the periphery of the sole so as toprovide a contoured upper surface configured to receive the underside ofthe foot of the person.
 22. A footwear article according to claim 1,further including a cushioning member located within the sole.
 23. Afootwear article according to claim 1, wherein the sole further includesa third portion which extends to the upper surface of the sole andhaving material property provides for dampening of load imparted to thefoot of the person upon contact with a surface, said third portionproviding for interaction with at least the metatarsal region of thefoot of the person.
 24. A footwear article according to claim 1, whereinthe first portion is provided as a multi-layered gel construct.
 25. Afootwear article according to claim 1, wherein the article is providedin the form of a “flip-flop” type footwear article.
 26. A footweararticle according to claim 1, wherein the article is provided in theform of a “sandal” type footwear article.
 27. A footwear articleaccording to claim 1, wherein the article is provided as an at leastpartially enclosed footwear article.
 28. A footwear article according toclaim 22, wherein the footwear article is provided as a heeled articlesuch that the upper surface of the sole is inclined in a direction offrom the upper surface towards the lower surface in a direction of fromthe first portion towards the second portion, and the third portion islocated in a portion to substantially prevent or reduce movement of thefoot of the person along the upper surface of the sole.
 29. A footweararticle according to claim 23, wherein the third portion is located soas to be at adjacent the ball of the underside of the foot of theperson.
 30. A footwear article comprising: a generally elongate sole forengagement with and support of the foot of a person, said sole having anupper surface, a lower surface, a first portion being for interactionwith at least the heel region of the foot of the person and a secondportion for interaction with at least the metatarsal region of the footof the person; and a foot engagement means for securing the footweararticle to the foot of a person. wherein a first portion of the soleincludes a first material having a first material property and the asecond portion of the sole includes a second material having a secondmaterial property, first material property providing for dampening ofload imparted to the foot of the person upon contact with a surface. 31.A footwear article according to claim 30, wherein said first material isa gel type polymeric material and said second material is an expandedpolymeric material.
 32. A footwear article according to claim 30,wherein the sole is formed as a unitary molded structure.
 33. A footweararticle according to claim 30, wherein said first portion and saidsecond portion co-operatively form a flexible sole.
 34. A footweararticle according to claim 30, wherein a part of the first portion and apart of the second portion form the upper surface of the sole.
 35. Afootwear article according to claim 30, wherein the second portiondefines the entire lower surface of the sole for direct contact with asurface; a part of the first portion and a part of the second portiondefine the entire upper surface of the sole, said upper surface beingprovided for direct contact with the underside of the foot of a user thefirst and second portion constitute the entire sole
 36. A footweararticle according to claim 30, wherein the foot engagement means isprovided such that the foot of a person is substantially non-enclosed.37. A footwear article according to claim 30, wherein the article isprovided as a “flip-flop” type footwear article.
 38. A footwear articlecomprising: a generally elongate sole comprising a first portion and asecond portion and having an upper surface and a lower surface, saidfirst portion being for direct contact and interaction with at least aportion of the underside of the foot of the person and being formed froma first polymeric material having a first density; and said secondportion forming substantially the entire lower surface and being fordirect contact and interaction with a surface and being formed from asecond polymeric material having a second density; and a generallyelongate and flexible foot engagement means for securing the footweararticle to the foot of a person, said foot engagement being engageddirectly with at least said second portion and configured so as toextend over a portion of the upper side of the foot of the person;wherein the first polymeric material and the second polymeric materialare selected and the first portion and the second portion are sized andarranged such that the sole is substantially flexible and elastic so asto allow for substantial flexion of the sole longitudinally and return,when in use and during ambulation of the person; wherein the firstpolymeric material and the second polymeric material are selected andthe first portion and the second portion are sized and arranged suchthat dampening is provided upon load being imparted to the foot of theperson upon contact with the surface; and wherein the sole is formed asa unitary construct by co-molding the first portion and the secondportion together, and the first polymeric material and the secondpolymeric material are suitably selected for said co-molding.
 39. Afootwear article according to claim 38, wherein the first density isgreater than the second density.
 40. A footwear article according toclaim 38, wherein the first material is provided in a gel form and thesecond polymeric material is provided in an expanded form.
 41. Afootwear article according to claim 38, wherein said foot engagementmeans is a “thong” type engagement means, and the footwear article isprovided in the form of a “flip-flop” type footwear article.
 42. Afootwear article according to claim 38, wherein the first polymericmaterial and the second polymeric material are selected from the groupincluding thermoplastic polymeric materials, co-polymers and mixedpolymer blends.
 43. A footwear article according to claim 38, whereinfirst polymeric material and the second polymeric material are selectedfrom the group including polyurethane, ethylene vinyl acetate, polyvinyl acetate and the like.
 44. A footwear article according to claim38, wherein the first material is a polyurethane gel material and thesecond material is an expanded polyurethane material.
 45. A footweararticle according to claim 38, wherein the first portion extendssubstantially laterally across upper surface of the sole.
 46. A footweararticle according to claim 38, wherein first portion substantially formsthe rear part of the upper surface of the sole.
 47. A footwear articleaccording to claim 46, wherein the second portion forms at least a partof the front part of the upper surface of the sole.
 48. A footweararticle according to claim 38, wherein first portion forms at least partof the front part of the upper surface of the sole.
 49. A footweararticle according to claim 48, wherein the second portion forms at leasta part of the rear part of the upper surface of the sole.
 50. A footweararticle according to claim 38, wherein the first portion furtherprovides for interaction with and at least partial support of theplantar arch of the user.
 51. A footwear article according to claim 38,wherein the first portion forms substantially the entire upper surfaceof the sole.
 52. A footwear article according to claim 38, wherein thefirst portion is provided as a first part and a second part andlaterally spaced apart such that the first part provides for interactionwith the lateral inferior of the metatarsal region of the foot of theperson and the second part provides for interaction with the medialinferior aspect of the metatarsal region of the foot of the person. 53.A footwear article according to 52, wherein the first part and thesecond part of the first portion are sized and selected from a materialso as to provide lateral stabilisation and load distribution of the heelof the person.
 54. A footwear article according to claim 38, wherein theupper surface is of concave form and the sole includes a peripheral lipextending at least partially along the periphery of the sole so as toprovide a contoured upper surface configured to receive the underside ofthe foot of the person.